Common Misconception

Really, this is a true concern and common misconception for many, many people. Even my husband, whom I thought knew better. One of the first things my husband said to me when I approached him about figure competitions was the fact that I would look like a man. He got that look on his face where he puts up a wall and has made his decision in his head that I cannot sway. I thought, shit, if I don’t have his support, I know I can’t do this. This is a lifestyle. Its a lot of work, time, food prep, working out! He has to be on board with this endeavor before I embark!

At any rate, it didn’t take me long to convince him that he was wrong and obtain his full support. Then, I had to deal with family and friends constantly saying “your not going to look like a man are you?” or, “don’t lift too much, you will look like a man.” What ev. It takes years for natural bodybuilding woman (those not using anabolic steroids) to build the amount of muscle they have. Yes, some can lose their femininity over years of beast mode iron action, but overall, lifting like a beast gets you some sexy curves!

Exhibit A:

Mindi Lee

IFBB Pro Figure Competitor

Fitness Model

Why is it that Mindi does not look like a man after lifting year after year? Let’s first talk about hormones, your bodies chemical messengers. The fantastic molecules that affect:

Growth and development

Metabolism

Sexual function

Reproduction

Mood

Testosterone’s responsibility for secondary sex characteristics

Let’ s focus specifically on Testosterone. When you hear testosterone, you think “man”. And for good reason. Testosterone is responsible for men’s secondary sex characteristics among other important functions including:

Deeper voice

Facial and chest hair

Libido

Energy levels

Bone strength

Building muscle mass

Women also produce testosterone which is important for:

Libido

Energy levels

Bone strength

Building muscle mass

And there it is, building muscle mass! Testosterone is one major factor for building muscle mass. If both men and woman produce testosterone, and it helps to build muscle, then I will for sure look like a dude if I lift!! …. WRONG!

Here’s why…

Testosterone levels in men and women

ng/dl of testosterone

Average ng/dl testosterone

Men

200-1200

700

Woman

15-70

42.5

This is a big difference! Men, on average, have about 17 times more testosterone than the average woman! Dayum! For this reason, men can make big gains (gain muscle) in a much shorter time period than women ever could. It takes natural figure and physique woman years to build that muscle they need to be competitive. Sure, some women lose their femininity with muscle mass but again, that is after years of lifting, or their juiced (taking anabolics). Once you reach your desired muscle mass, adjust your program, but don’t stop strength training.

Lifting towards your goal

Now lets talk about workout programs. Tailoring your program to your goals such as gaining size, gaining strength, add some curves, lose weight, increase fitness and so on will dictate how you train. Hours of cardio will not get you that shapely body you are so hoping for. It will get you a flat butt! So, you will definitely need to add some weight lifting to your routine to avoid being classified as that “skinny fat” girl. While genetics can play a role in how fast or slowly you gain muscle, nutrition and training will affect your outcome.

For example, a person trying to build muscle for size lift differently than a person wanting to increase strength or lose fat.

In general, there are different repetition ranges to perform exercises within with a challenging weight depending on your goal and fitness level.

1-5 reps = Strength

6-12 = Hypertrophy (size)

12+ = Endurance

Example 1: Isolating muscle groups for size- Leg, booty and ab day

This day would be part of a more advanced program working each muscle group 2x per week. This puts you in the gym 6x per week.

Example 3: Bikini girl workout

This workout would be a part of a bikini competitor workout for back, biceps and plyometrics. Working in higher rep ranges ensures you are still working the muscles and building those curves, but the focus isn’t on build as much size as possible.

4x 15 Lat Pull Downs

3x 15 Seated Cable Row

3x 15 Supported Back Extensions with weight

4x 15 Dumbbell Curls

4x 15 Hammer Curls

4x 50 Ski’s

4x 20 Lunge-jumps

4x 20 Squat-jumps

Also, the type of training program you use will affect your goals and should be appropriate to your experience level. Here are some examples:

Lift each muscle group 1x per week in the same rep ranges:

Great for a beginners having lifted less than 2 years. Do 3-4 exercises per muscle group in the same rep range.

Sun: Legs 8-12 rep range for all sets

Mon:

Tue: Shoulder + abs 8-12 rep range

Wed: Back + biceps 8-12 rep range

Thurs:

Fri: Chest + triceps 8-12 rep range

Sat:

Lifting more volumes in differing rep ranges

This is a good program for those that have lifted more than 2 years and less than 5 years (ish). Lift each muscle group 2x per week, 3-4 exercises per muscle group, 3-4 sets for a high rep day and heavy day.

Sun: Chest/Shoulders/Triceps 15-20 rep range for all sets

Mon: Legs + abs 15-20 rep range

Tue: Back/Biceps 6-8 rep range

Wed: Chest/Shoulders/Triceps 6-8 rep range

Thurs: Legs + abs 6-8 rep range

Fri: off

Sat:Back/Biceps 15-20 rep range

High volume hitting all rep ranges

This is great for advanced lifters that have been lifting about 5 years or more. This can also be a great way to bring up weaker areas, say the shoulders and legs where you lift shoulders and legs 3x per week hitting all rep ranges and other muscle groups only 2 times per week. Here are some examples. Also see daily undulating periodization (DUP).

Sun: Squat, bench, deadlift, shoulder press 8-12 rep range

Mon:

Tue: Squat, bench, deadlift, shoulder press 15-30 rep range

Wed:

Thur: Squat, bench, deadlift, shoulder press 1-3 rep range

Fri: Accessory lifts

Sat:

or

Sun: Chest, Back and Legs 8-12 rep range

Mon: Shoulders and Arms 8-12 rep range

Tue: Chest, Back and Legs 15-30 rep range

Wed: Shoulders and Arms 15-30 rep range

Thur: Chest, Back and Legs 1-3 rep range

Fri: Shoulders and Arms 1-3 rep range

Sat: Off

The possibilities and combinations are endless. There is a wide range of things you can do to add to your program to increase strength and or size based on your experience level and goals. Set your goal and stick to it!

Other benefits of lifting

Muscle burns more calories: The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn. Fat does nothing but hang out on your ass jiggling around. Muscle actually serves a function in your body and must utilize calories to function, thus helping you to getting leaner and stay lean.

Increase bone density: Many studies show that lifting weight regularly can increase bone density. This is extremely important, especially as you age.